Many friends have collected Western European banknotes and are attracted by its rich and heavy design style. This is because Western European countries have a very rich history, culture and artistic traditions, which are reflected in the marrow of Western Europeans all the time. However, New Zealand, which is a European nation and has the same tradition as Europe, is a fresh and abnormal feeling. Most British banknotes have a unique, fresh style, but New Zealand banknotes are especially true, which is why I love it. If I had to use an English word to describe the New Zealand banknotes in my mind, I would immediately think of crisp, a crisp feeling. This is a set of banknotes that New Zealand began to use after World War II, used between 1945 and 1967, commonly known as captain Cook's version. The Maori Chieftain version before this was a big treasure of my dreams, and I especially loved the High Crown Queen version after that. Since the £50 in this set is too expensive and rare for me to get, this time I introduce some easy small denominations, but the quality is not vain.
All the obverse portraits of this set of banknotes are of The British explorer, naval officer, and captain James. James Cook,Who made an island-hopping expedition to New Zealand from 1769 to 1770 and published a voyage report, after which a large number of European civilians moved here in search of a better life, so Cook can be regarded as the father of New Zealand, naturally printed on paper money, of course, Captain Cook's experience is very rich, the country of influence is far from New Zealand, but only New Zealand printed his portrait on paper money, above the British king, which is unique. To this day in the South Pacific, there is also the island named after him, the Cook Islands, which is a quasi-state of New Zealand, and has issued several banknotes in the 198X-199X, equivalent to the New Zealand dollar, but because the issuance of paper money is not cost-effective for the Cook Islands, it was quickly cancelled. As a result, the excess inventory of Cook Islands banknotes appeared in the collection market, with interesting themes and affordable prices, suitable for beginner collectors.
Because most of the Europeans who immigrated to New Zealand were civilians, and did not experience the prosperous era of the 18XX cultural and artistic explosion in Europe, New Zealand naturally could not have a giant comparable to Europe, not as splendid culture as Western Europe, which was also deeply reflected in New Zealand's banknotes, but because of this, the fresh and unworldly feeling was like the impression of New Zealand in the hearts of the world. I think the New Zealanders who have moved here are also a group of people who don't like challenges and like a quiet life. As a result, New Zealand banknotes show more of New Zealand's comfortable life, beauty and birds.
This set of banknotes was printed by the British TDLR, and if you look at this set of banknotes from the perspective of collecting Western European banknotes, then collectors may be a little disappointed. Because I think that paper money is a very large time span but very insensitive thing, such as this set of Captain Cook notes originated after World War II, if only in terms of quality, the quality of this set of banknotes is obviously better than the Western European countries of the same period. The portrait carving of this set of banknotes is also very general, but it is still an old saying, even the Netherlands, a powerful country in portrait carving, cannot be compared with the works of the same period. Because I think that World War II has just ended, Europe is in ruins, although the carvers in my mind are a group of gritty, hard-working artists, but if you want to have good works, the working environment is still quite necessary. As a result, the printing and engraving level of banknotes in Western European countries after 195X was greatly improved, not in the 194X years. So the portrait of Captain Cook is not much to introduce, and for collectors like me who started with modern Paper Money in Western Europe, there is really not much to say.
The design of this set of banknotes is the standard British style, just mentioned the portrait carving problem, but also the problem of British printing companies such as TDLR and BWC, portrait carving due to the time-consuming, difficult, so for such a commercial company, the cost performance is not high. So more is spent on advanced technology, engraving of drawings and crisp paper. This was true of all TDLR banknotes of the same period, so these banknotes have very good compositions, and at first glance they will feel exquisite, full of atmosphere, full of emotion, and lovely. In other Western European countries, on the contrary, due to the small volume of business due to the large number of self-printed banknotes (for example, Germany only had one set of banknotes from 1960 to 1989), designers and engravers from all over the world will exert their enthusiasm for creation on the few opportunities, so they are perfect in detail, the banknotes look thicker, but the atmosphere is relatively insufficient, not the kind of banknotes that people will like at first glance (such as the West German 1000 marks).
Therefore, the British banknotes seem to me to be relatively thin, and the same is true of this Cook edition. The Queen Edition after it was strengthened a lot, of course, this is also related to the time span, when the TDLR banknotes also experienced a golden period of development, producing a large number of classic works, and the Queen Edition was one of the classic works of that period. Collecting British banknotes is unacceptable if it does not have more perceptual aesthetics, and my perceptual understanding of British banknotes stays in the impression of exquisite, crisp and atmospheric.
The back of this set of banknotes is the source of my good feelings for it, I believe that collectors who have collected British banknotes, including New Zealand, Scotland and other places, will be full of love for the back of this type of banknote, elegant and quiet, exquisite backside, still due to commercial printing companies such as TDLR, usually to ensure that the printing cost of banknotes is controlled on the basis of the exquisite face. The scenery and architectural carving technology on the back are low, but it is easy to shine, and the average collector is more concerned about the sensory joy at first glance, rather than the sloppy old man like the West German 100 or 1000 marks, so this landscape and texture theme has been tried and tested for British banknotes, and it is still used today.
Among British banknotes, the main reason why I am particularly fond of New Zealand banknotes is that they are more elegant in British style technology. Because most of the world's paper money is in a mediocre state, but any style that skips this state slightly will make people shine. For example, the extraordinary design of the Netherlands, the top sculptures in Germany, the rich cultural heritage of Italy and the rich artistic tradition of France. New Zealand is the kind of calm, ease and beauty that brings freshness. It's not that the fewer the design elements of the banknote, the better, but like New Zealand, the composition of the whole banknote is very full, while maintaining such a plain elegance, which is really unique, and I can't find a second such country in the process of collecting banknotes now.
The back of the 10 pound pattern is too representative of the country of New Zealand – the blue sky, even the green face can feel like this, fat grass and a flock of gluttonous sheep. When European immigrants came to this place, they found that God had given them a paradise-like holy place, which was beautiful and rich in products, so people came here and lived quietly, and this may be what New Zealand banknotes want to express. Of course, for Chinese who are born with a toil gene, New Zealand is just a place to travel, and the ultra-slow pace is not suitable for Chinese to live here. So take a look at the fresh images on New Zealand banknotes, and collect them with your own beautiful but unadaptable vision.
(In such a beautiful view, this small boat is the finishing touch, because no matter how beautiful the scenery, if it is far away for ordinary people, it can only become a daydream.) And the existence of that small boat is what New Zealand tells the world that New Zealand, a paradise, is conceivable, hopeful and reachable. Such beautiful graphics are also an important reason why I especially like New Zealand banknotes. ）
(In addition to the fresh breath that comes from the air, New Zealand also shows a little bit of its own thickness in this set of banknotes, but it is incomparable with the thickness of Europe, even compared to Africa.) So this Captain Cook explored New Zealand's ships, repeatedly appearing on New Zealand banknotes and coins, as well as stamps. But if you have admired the Portuguese set of Navigator banknotes, you can feel the thick difference - every ship on the Portuguese banknote has too much known history, and this one in New Zealand may only be interested in understanding people who really love New Zealand, but unfortunately I am not such a person.)
(Interestingly, countries like New Zealand, which do not have too much cultural heritage, also want to find a little bit of their own history and culture, so on the minimum denomination of 10 shillings, they emphasize that they are a unique country, such as the pattern in the middle, presumably people can see that the British colonists are signing colonial agreements with the local indigenous Maori people - this may be the only history that New Zealand can show in the world, in addition, One can't seem to think of any other history of New Zealand in this world that is worth mentioning. And the wingless chicken on the left - kiwi is New Zealand's national bird, New Zealand is a bird paradise, and New Zealanders are very fond of their own national bird, the living state of kiwi may be too similar to New Zealand, to know that in other places other than Australia, it is extremely cruel to the survival of the superior, and the dodo of Mauritius similar to the kiwi bird, because of the fat flesh and no ability to protect itself, was eaten, and the kiwi bird has magically multiplied to the present, is still increasing - New Zealand may use it as a national bird, It is also to show the world its founding spirit, the country's protection of the weak, let them live and reproduce here, rather than suffer from the survival of the fittest. Of course, the source of this spirit is because of the Polynesians, but this is too much to say, and I think I will introduce it in other Australian banknotes in the future. ）